


Empty

by EvelynMichelle



Category: X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Angst and Feels, Gen, I read up on Xavier's canon backstory, Pre-Canon, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, it made me sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:26:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29893533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvelynMichelle/pseuds/EvelynMichelle
Summary: Charles and Raven return to New York from their first semester at Oxford. They're greeted with an unpleasant surprise.Raven learned very quickly that Charles can only handle emotions when they belong to someone else. But that doesn't mean she has to be happy about it.
Kudos: 10





	Empty

The first sign that there was a problem was that Aiden the butler picked them up from the airport, not their usual escort.

“I’m afraid James has chosen to find employment elsewhere while you were away,” Aiden told them as he held the door open for Raven.

“That’s unfortunate, did he say why?” Charles’ brow furrowed and his mouth set. He knew all of the household staff by name, had grown up with most of them. Raven, however, was still reeling at the idea of having staff, even after all these years. 

Charles said she’d get used to it one day, but she doesn’t believe him.

“I believe he said it was closer to home.” Aiden’s hands gripped the wheel before one went to touch his face, and Raven knew he was lying. Charles, sitting behind the butler, didn’t see this. And since he’d only just finished his finals this morning, he’d was too tired to bother reading his mind so she wasn’t likely to learn the truth unless she asked. 

“He was the one with the sideburns, right?” Raven mused.

Charles gave her a look that told her she was being rude, but Aiden just laughed.

“Yes, ma’am. He asked us to relay his apology, and his gratitude for the years of kindness, Sir.”

“Thank you. Perhaps I’ll give him a call later. Make sure he’s doing alright.”

“I’m sure he would appreciate that, Sir.”

“I liked him, he was kinda hot.”

“He was sixty.”

“Looked good for sixty.”

It was an innocuous enough conversation but Raven found it unsettling even after Charles’ tired attempt at giving the butler a broad rundown of their time at Oxford. The story lasted long enough to get them home and through the doorway before the shoe dropped.

“Did you happen to see Ms. Marko recently, Sir?” The butler’s hesitancy was obvious in his voice and Raven knew she wasn’t going to like where this conversation was about to go.

Charles’ head cocked, just a tad, just enough to remind her of a puppy.

A puppy that was about to get kicked, but didn’t quite know it yet.

Because no mention of Charles’ mother could end as good news.

“No, should I have?” Charles attempted to look disinterested by flipping through the pile of mail. A pile that was larger than it had any right to be, but then since when had Charles’ mother dealt with anything as menial as mail.

Aiden didn’t look surprised, but there was a twitch to his lips that looked like he was hiding a wince. 

“Well, she mentioned she was returning to England. I merely wondered if she had stopped by.”

“Oh, I hadn’t known she was visiting. How long is she staying?”

Now Charles was absolutely diverting his attention, opening a random letter and pretending to read it only looking up when Aiden hesitated for longer than anyone with good news could justify.

“I-or-we were under the impression it was a permanent relocation, Sir.”

“What?” Raven couldn’t help herself, unable to ignore how fast Charles’ body went rigid. “She moved out of the country?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I believe she said she was returning to her family in Surry.”

“Did she leave a note or anything?”

Raven could practically see Charles’ attempt to not react to the news. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he was shaking, he wasn’t, but the letter he was holding wasn’t fairing great in his grip. He had a bad habit of internalizing everything, insisting on controlling his reactions, and not letting anything but his usual bubbly optimism show.

Raven hated it.

And she hated how often the reason for it pointed directly at that woman.

Raven had never actually met Charles’ mother. The immense size of the estate combined with Sharon Marko’s constant drunken stupor led Raven to wonder if the woman remembered there was one kid in the house, much less two. 

“Perhaps there’s one in the study?” Aiden tried, but they both knew he was reaching. “The estate, of course, has been yours since your eighteenth birthday, Sir. But I have to wonder… for the sake of the rest of the staff…”

Charles, always grateful for a chance to distract himself from his problems by fixing someone else’s, put the letter aside.

“Of course. I’ll be returning to Oxford in a few weeks. It’s hardly practical to have a full team of staff to upkeep an estate no one lives in.” He looked around in thought. “Don’t worry, Aiden. I’ll make a few calls, look for anyone that needs more help.”

“I appreciate that, Sir.”

“Of course, I won’t leave you all on the streets, you know that.”

The gratitude on Aiden’s face almost made Raven forget that it was all a desperate attempt for Charles to forget about the fact his mother moved halfway across the world and didn’t even say bye.

Charles would have done it anyway, but that didn’t change what was really going on.

“Certainly, Sir.”

Aiden left them then, presumably to tell the rest of the staff about Charles’ promise and complain about how Ms. Marko was an ass.

Charles looked at Raven as he grabbed the stack of mail. He looked so tired.

“Welcome home, I suppose.” He chuckled like it was all one big joke. It was the only reaction he’d give her unless she pushed for one. 

“Are you okay?” She nearly kicked herself for her sad attempt as she followed him towards the study.

And sure enough, he blew it off with an unconvincing; “I’m fine.”

She should push, she really should, it probably wasn’t healthy to react to something like that with dry humor. A good sister would push.

“Sorry, Raven. I know I promised we’d get dinner, but suddenly I’ve got a lot of phone calls to make and it could take a while. I’d rather get it done sooner rather than later. Will you be upset if we go tomorrow instead.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll see if Ella has any chips. I’ve been craving them for weeks.”

“Oh, god. Please? I’ve missed them so much.”

“Who says I’m sharing?”

“Raven…” Charles whined, and Raven laughed.

“Alright, alright. If you’re going to be such a big baby about it.”

“Yay.”

Raven left him picking up the phone her smile fading the moment she turned her back.

She wondered if his did too. 

“Raven! it’s so good to see you!” Ella greeted Raven with a big hug as she had every morning from the time they’d met till the day they’d left for Oxford. Always with a bright smile, always with an apron covered in something edible. Some things never change even when everything else does.

“Hey, Ella.”

“Look at you, you haven’t changed at all.” 

“It’s only been a year.”

“I know, but even your hair’s the exact same. You’re a grown woman now, change it up, have some fun!” Ella laughed, “And eat more, you’ve always been too skinny for your own good. Both of you are.”

“Speaking off… you wouldn’t happen to have any chips. I’ve been dying without them. Charles too.”

“Are you sure he wouldn’t prefer some crisps?” Ella said with the most ridiculously fake British accent she could manage and a smirk on her face.

Raven laughed. “Oh my god, Ella you should hear him talk. His stupid little accent was bad enough before, but now? I knew we shouldn’t have let him go to England. I’d only just gotten him to stop using the word ‘loo’ before we left and he started right back up again. I swear living there makes him feel more British than he actually is.”

“It’s Jeanette’s fault,” Ella said pulling out the desired homemade chips, “I told her, if she didn’t stop influencing him he’d never grow out of it. Now, look at him. Born in the middle of New York and he talks like he never set foot outside London.”

“You’d think it would be his mother’s fault,” Raven grumbled and Ella gave her a piteous look.

“She didn’t write at all, did she.” 

“He didn’t even know she moved till we walked in the door.”

Ella piled the chips on the plate a bit higher than she normally would have.

“Poor thing. He deserves better.” She shook her head. “She took the loss of his father pretty bad I’m afraid.”

“Didn’t stop her from remarrying an asshole.”

“No, I suppose it didn’t. I suppose all we can do is be grateful her son didn’t turn out the same way.”

Raven nodded, though in her mind she knew that Charles never had a chance of turning out like his mother. Not that Ella knew anything about the telepathy that ensure Charles was always very conscious of the thoughts and feelings of others. None of the staff knew. 

“Speaking of…” Ella said, thoughtfully handing her a plate. “I don’t suppose you’ll need the help of a cook once you return to Oxford…”

“He’s looking for acquaintances who need some extra staff,” Raven said by way of answer.

“Of course he is. That’s hardly his responsibility, but I doubt that’s going to stop him.” She didn’t quite let go of the second plate and looked Raven directly in the eye. “Before I leave, darling, I want to thank you.”

Raven blinked at her “Me?”

“Yes, you. Now don’t look so surprised. That boy means more to me, to most of us than the world. And I don’t know where you came from or how you got here seeing as the Lady of the house didn’t seem to have had anything to do with it, but as far as I can see you’ve none nothing but good by him since you’ve stepped into this house. He’s been far happier and, hon, that’s worth more than you know to us.”

It wasn’t surprising, really, Raven had always known Charles had grown up lonely. But, to hear she’d made enough of a difference to be worthy of thanks, was… interesting. 

Raven had made the mistake of thinking all her troubles were over when Charles invited her to stay, it hadn’t taken her long to realize that once you stopped having to worry about where your next meal was coming from you had room for other problems.

As it turned out he new friend, new brother, had a lot of food, a lot of money, a big fancy house, and a hell of a lot of psychological issues that he didn’t let anyone see because how dare someone so rich not be content.

“He’s pretending he’s not bothered.” Raven confided. “By her leaving, I mean.”

“He always does.” She sighed.

“She didn’t leave an address? Phone number, anything?”

Ella just shook her head before repeating herself. “Poor thing.”

Raven took both plates back to Charles’ study where he mouthed a ‘thank you’ at her and rolled his eyes at the phone.

“Of course, why would anyone want their sitting room facing west.” He said into the phone but with just enough sarcasm that it was obvious, he was talking to Raven and popping a chip in his mouth before wincing. Maybe the woman on the other end recognized his tone, but more likely the chip was just too hot. “Yes yes, now about the-… Mrs. Winsor, I just flew in from England, I honestly have no idea.”

He was sitting on the edge of the desk in the exact posture she’d left him in, so chances were he was still on his first phone call. 

Charles was right this was going to take all day.

All of the sudden his posture went rigid again and his eyes flickered to her before turning away from Raven completely.

“She has family in Surry,” he answered and there was a brief pause before he continued, “no I don’t believe she’s planning on returning.”

“Charles, hang up on her.”

He didn’t, too polite to hang up on a well-meaning old lady, even when she was being abysmally rude.

“I don’t have the number at the moment but I’ll let you know. Mrs. Winsor, I’ve got quite a few calls to make, I’ll have to talk to you later alright- yes, alright- just keep it in mind for me- goodbye.”

He hung up the phone harder than necessary. “God, I hate phones.”

“That’s because you’re socially incompetent the moment you stop reading someone’s mind,” Raven teased.

“It’s like being deaf.”

Raven bit her lip, but the very idea of letting Charles read her mind again was horrifying for reasons she’d never be able to tell him so long as he still called her sister.

“That’s what you get for starting with an old lady.”

“Better to get the worst ones over with early.” He sighed and ate another chip.

“You know, technically it's not your responsibility to find jobs for them. They’re perfectly capable adults.”

“But I’m so much better at it.”

Raven chuckled “really? Because if I recall you’ve never had a job in your life.”

He relented with a shrug, “I can’t just kick them out, Raven. Several of them have lived here longer than I have.”

“Hmm… It’ll be weird, this place being empty.”

Charles didn’t answer right away looking out the window at the perfect garden two floors down.

“This place has been empty for a long time.”

******

“Honestly, Charles, I don’t know how you survived. Living in such hardship.”

Raven wasn’t unfamiliar with the feeling of wanting to kick a man where the sun doesn’t shine, but she’s pretty sure the urge had never sprung up so fast before. Certainly, she’d never felt it in regards to someone she’d thought of as a friend before, but that was the look of Charles trying to pretend he wasn’t hurt and it was a look that very nearly resulted in a German casualty.

But Charles wouldn’t want that. 

So she swallowed her anger and hugged the brother she desperately wanted to become something more. 

“Well, it was a hardship softened by me.”

And the look of gratitude he gave her was worth it all. 

Because they were right… Charles deserved better.


End file.
